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Rob Kennedy

North Shields drug dealer who boasted of supplying narcotics across Newcastle and Sunderland jailed

A drug dealer who boasted of being able to drop off a cocktail of narcotics across the North East has been jailed.

Ismail Ahmed was caught red-handed when police pulled over an erratically-driven car which stunk of cannabis, in which he was a passenger.

Ahmed and others tried to make a run for it but was caught and found to be in possession of cannabis deals and cocaine.

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Text messages on his phone showed he was involved in the supply of both of those drugs and MDMA and he boasted of being able to supply it "all over Sunderland and Newcastle".

Now Ahmed, 24, of Fenwick Terrace, North Shields, who has a previous conviction for possessing cannabis with intent from 2017, has been locked up for three years at Newcastle Crown Court.

Sam Faulks, prosecuting, said it was in February last year around 1am that police in North Shields saw a BMW pull out of a petrol station "rather quickly" so stopped it.

Mr Faulks said: "Three men got out and there was a strong smell of cannabis.

"The defendant emerged from the rear and tried to escape by trying to climb a fence.

"He was detained and dropped a bag of cannabis, with individually wrapped amounts. He said it was his weekly buy and that he had a bit of cocaine as well."

In total, the drugs seized were worth up to £645.

Police examined his phone and found a large number of messages relating to him supplying cannabis, cocaine and MDMA.

There was also reference to "ten out of ten rocket fuel", to him arranging drivers or runners and to a price of £1,400 for an ounce of cocaine.

Ahmed pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cannabis, supplying cannabis, supplying cocaine and supplying MDMA. He pleaded on the basis he was mainly involved in cannabis supply and only supplied the class A drugs on a more limited basis.

Recorder Shakil Najib told him: "In 2017 you were convicted of possession with intent to supply cannabis and the court gave you a chance by imposing a community order.

"Rather than learn from that and try to move on with your life and put the world of drugs supply behind you, you not only continued to be involved in the possession of cannabis, but also became involved in the supply of class A drugs.

"That's a serious matter and has a profound and devastating effect on society as a whole and a sentence of imprisonment is inevitable."

Matthew Purves, defending, said Ahmed started taking drugs while at college and added: "He tumbled into homelessness and ended up living with individuals who are engaged in drug use and drugs supply.

"He ended up in debt and suffered threats and that spread to his family."

Mr Purves said there was immature "boastful bragging" about what he was capable of getting hold of.

He added that Ahmed had worked for the NHS doing data entry and now works as a sioux chef.

The court heard Ahmed has been taken back into the family home and is off drugs.

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